Spotify follows up Ford deal with Volvo tie-in

Spotify is continuing its expansion into the growing in-car entertainment market with the announcement that its music streaming service is coming to Volvo cars.

Last week, the Anglo-Swedish company unveiled a deal with Ford to integrate Spotify into the Ford Sync AppLink system, rolling out initially in over 1m cars in the US in the coming weeks, and in Europe later this year.

At the Geneva Motor Show this week, Spotify followed that up with a separate agreement that will see its service become available in Volvo cars through the Sensus Connected Touch system.

Volvo's integration of Spotify is both voice-activated and touch-enabled on the new dashboard-mounted, Android-based 'infotainment' system with a 7-inch display.

Drivers will be abe to stream Spotify music in their cars with a 3G/4G dongle, or using a mobile phone connection.

They can search the Spotify catalog of songs with just their voice, meaning they stay focused on the road.

Pascal de Mul, Spotify's global head of hardware partnerships, said that Spotify wants to "make it as easy as possible for people to enjoy all the world's music wherever and whenever they are".

He added: "We know that the car is the number one environment in which people want to listen to music, so we are working to make Spotify available for drivers in as many types of car as possible.

"We are really excited to announce this innovative, hands-free in-dash Spotify service today with Volvo, so that even more drivers will be able to enjoy Spotify music safely while on the road."

Sensus Connected Touch is the brand for all HMI (Human Machine Interface) functionality in Volvo cars. The system goes on sale in May 2013 and can be fitted in all new Volvos (V40, V40 Cross Country, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80), as well as retrofitted in applicable used Volvo cars from 2011.

Sensus is based on Google Android and features various apps and services, such as Google Maps, TuneIn and iGO navigation. Users can also access a full web browser when not driving.

"The intuitive user interface, a very rapid browser response and the wide choice of around 20 functions and apps are benefits that make Sensus Connected Touch outstanding compared with our main competitors' solutions," said Håkan Hellman, Volvo's product manager for infotainment and connectivity.